1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to fasteners for electronic equipment.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
Captive screws are fasteners that include a screw portion which is “captivated” or held by a ferrule or like structure that in turn can be attached to a first panel. The screw portion is captivated so that it can be moved with respect to the first panel and the screw's threads can engage a corresponding aperture in a second panel, so that the first and second panels can be secured together. However, when the panels are unscrewed and disengaged, the screw is retained in the first panel. Captive screws are useful in applications where it is important to avoid dropping or losing screws during assembly or repair, such as for electronic devices, where a lost screw can cause catastrophic electrical shorts damaging equipment.
There is a need for an improved captive screw for use in securely attaching removable electronic assemblies, such as PCI card riser cages, to electronic chassis such as rack-mountable computer chassis.